The news coming from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ann Pappert that there is a CAO’s bylaw that gives almost unlimited powers to the holder of the job makes it unclear of who really runs the city.

In the wake of the city’s loss of a $19 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit brought on by the city hall’s main contractor, Urbacon Buildings Group, Pappert placed the responsibility on former CAO Hans Loewig. She stated he ordered the contractor off the site when the project was 95 per cent complete.

Her explanation was backed up by the revelation of the CAO bylaw that gives authority to the CAO to cancel contracts without consulting the mayor and council.

Okay, if this is the case who is running the city?

The mayor has faded into the bunker, being unavailable to the media. Aside from a brief comment on her blog, her silence has been deafening.

Neither the mayor nor Loewig testified at the civil trial.

Who is mayor Farbridge working for? Is it the people who elected her to represent their interests?

Let the record show that in eight years on the job the mayor, not once has apologized to her constituents for mistake by her administration. That list is long and contains examples of mismagement that are too deep and detailed to outline here. Details will be revealed soon in another guelphspeaks.ca post.

Her interest has been to force-feed her environmental agenda down our throats, and never reveal the costs and details She panders to a minority collection of special interests including the soccer people, heritage commandos, bicycle advocates, friendly political activists, the university, certain community groups, and downtown development.

She does it without the financial knowledge of what her initiatives cost or the impact on the citizens, those who are paying the costs of her schemes and projects.

Karen Farbridge has cobbled together a collection of like-minded members of council who are equally financially challenged but supportive of her agenda.

Ask again: Who is running the store?

The city is blessed with a number of loyal and responsible employees. The senior management however, has too much power but not enough understanding of their employer’s real needs. In fact they have no respect to the needs of the public. Their main concern is to ensure their own personal agenda including excessive compensation.

Do you really think the mayor is satisfied with only earning about $115,000 a year when all of her executive staff is making 60 per cent more than she? Ann Pappert is at the top, earning $209,000 in 2013. Remember the mayor is also a full-time mayor.

It escapes any logic. Perhaps in her wooly mind, the mayor thinks that those high- priced executives had better earn their money and answer why the city just blew a potential $28 million on the Urbacon lawsuit.

The mayor’s silence indicates there is more to this story that the citizens may eventually learn.

2 responses to “Just who does Mayor Karen Farbridge work for?”

Perhaps someone could advise if they’ve been successful in accessing the infamous bylaw that delegates such extrordinary power to the CAO without consultation and/or approval by Council.david.birtwistle@sympatico.ca